But First, Draw Near

I mentioned recently that God has really been dealing with me and my prayer life. The two times in my life that I undoubtedly felt the closest to God were two of the toughest times in my entire life. I'll spare you all the details, but I know that it is no coincidence that I felt so close to God during these times. I NEEDED God during these times. His strength was the only way I made it through those times.

I miss those days. Not the struggles themselves, but my time with God. I miss the connection, the urgency and the molding that came from those times. The problem is, there is no reason I should not feel that connection now. One of possibly the strangest things I think Beachbody has done for me is bring me back to the path towards that closeness. There is nothing about Beachbody that pushes for a relationship with Jesus, but as a coach they strongly encourage what they call personal development. I personally thought that sounded a bit silly and self-centered until I realized how God intended that I use it.

For me, this was just the push I needed to refocus, to start wandering back to where I need to be. And I need to be giving the first of each day to Jesus- not the last, not leftover time. I need to be focused on making sure my plans are actually His plans. (Jeremiah 29:11- and he has plans!) I need to make sure my life is focused on making more of Him and less of me.

I LOVE to read (and write) but over a year ago I began to feel like these two things took up far too much of my time. I mean 40 hours at my full time job, up to 20 hours on Beachbody, maybe 5-7 hours working out, 6- 10 at my sons games, 10 or so serving and worshiping at church, plus all the regular momma stuff. No time, see... Until you do the math. Even with sleeping I have a good 10-20 hours on my busiest week still free. That's a lot of time! That is the time I would like to claim as MINE. All mine. But, that's just not true. Yes, rest is good, but it doesn't necessarily mean do nothing. And you know what is better than rest?
Obedience.
There that word is again, it's been coming up an awful lot lately.

Just Sunday morning my pastor said this:

Don't get me wrong, I'm being obedient by going to work, sharing my story through Beachbody, being a mom, serving at church, and caring for my body. However, I don't get to choose only the things that I enjoy and ignore the tasks that seem, well unproductive. Because let's be real, sitting quietly and reading a book that encourages my relationship with Christ, reading my Bible and even praying require me to sit still, and be quiet. I'm not good at this. I struggle to quiet my mind. Which is all the more reason I NEED to do these things.

What is God teaching me through all of this? If I can be disciplined in counting calories and working out, I can be disciplined in reading my Bible and prayer. Actually, I should be even more disciplined in reading my Bible and praying. I should first be disciplined in these things as a means to accomplishing ALL other things. When I quiet myself, that is when I hear God's direction. That is when I have ideas to write, when I stay on the path towards the goals He has given to me, and when I make all around better choices.

Discipline isn't easy. However, letting the One who who knows the way, the One who lights the path, the One who can rescue me from all of my struggles discipline me about my priorities, well, it's needed. Seeking to put God first in my day, my lifestyle, my work, my relationships, even my rest is what will bring back that closeness I felt.

Let me ask you this...
What or who are you putting first?
Are there things that you are struggling with and you just can't seem to figure out how to move forward?
What would happen if when you woke up each day this week you gave God the first ten minutes?

I challenge you to do just this all week. Wake up and give God the first 10 minutes of every day. No cell phone, no weather, no news, no bathroom (if you can ;) ) 10 quiet minutes alone with Him. Let me know how it goes!